The End of the Line
by cartoon-character
Summary: The kids are in high school now. Stan has fallen into depression over recent events. Can Kyle convince him that life is worth living? (not slash...some swearing...please review.)


Disclaimer: I don't own the South Park characters or the lyrics to the song.  
  
Kyle glanced at Stan from across the classroom. Usually they'd be sitting beside each other, but in this class, they sat in alphabetical order by last name. Stan looked sullen and depressed. 'It must be the breakup with Wendy,' Kyle thought. 'We should watch Terrence and Phillip reruns. That always makes him laugh. Maybe we could...'  
"Ay! Jew!" That was another crappy thing about alphabetical seating. Broflovski, Cartman.  
"Hey, you goddamn hippie, pass the sheets back!" Cartman snapped, prodding Kyle in the back with a sharp pencil.  
"Ouch! Hold on, fatass..." Kyle muttered, handing back some homework assignments. As the teacher droned on about the papers, Kyle went back to his thoughts. 'I'll talk to him after class.'  
Finally the bell rang. Stan bolted out of the classroom. Kyle ran after his best friend anxiously. He had to dodge around students in the crowded hallway.  
"Excuse me, Bebe....whoops, sorry Tweek...watch out, Butters....hey, Stan!" The dark haired boy stopped when he heard Kyle's voice.  
"Oh. Hey dude." Stan's tone was dull, but his eyes swam with emotion.  
"Goddamn, you move fast, man," Kyle panted, falling into stride with Stan. He glanced sideways at him. "You wanna come over to watch Terrence and Phillip reruns?"  
"Umm...nah. I have lots of homework. I should...y'know...get started on that math assignment." Stan sighed and straightened his toque. "See ya later."  
"Okay. Bye." Kyle frowned and opened his locker as Stan trudged off. Taped to the interior of the locker were pictures. Stan and Wendy, Kenny, Ike, him and Stan. Kyle gazed at the last picture. Back when Stan was always cheerful. The two of them were inseparable. But for the last week or so, Stan had not been himself. Ever since Wendy had dumped him for an older guy, Stan had been moody and solemn; there was fear and anger in his eyes. He wouldn't hang out with his friends as much. Kyle shook his head sadly and grabbed his backpack. With one last look at the picture, he shut his locker and went home.  
  
Stan slammed his bedroom door.  
"Fuck Wendy and her stupid boyfriend. They can burn in hell for all I care. Cartman was right. She's just a stupid whore anyways." He grabbed a photo of Wendy that was on his desk. He ripped it up angrily and threw it at the wall. With tears pricking at his eyes, Stan fell onto his bed and moaned.  
"I'm sick of living! Fuck this. I'm done." He pulled up his sleeves, ready to die, when he noticed the scars on his wrists; failed attempts to try and end his life. He choked with emotion and pulled his sleeves down again.  
"No. Not that way." Stan went to his desk and found a blank piece of paper.  
  
**It will be next week**, he wrote furiously.** I'll sign up for the talent show. I'll say that I can swallow swords. Instead, I'll stab myself. I'll show those bastards that they shouldn't mess with Stan Marsh.**  
  
"So, Kyle, what song are we gonna do for the talent show?" Jonathan, the drummer for Kyle's band 'Anagram', asked.  
"Umm...I dunno. Do you guys have anything in mind?" The rest of the band shook their heads. Kyle rolled his eyes and took his guitar off his shoulder.  
"Well, it's Wednesday now. Why don't we think about it and give our suggestions on Friday? We can practice it on the weekend and have it ready for Monday," Michael, the bass player, said.  
"Okay. See you guys Friday, then," Kyle agreed, hoisting his guitar onto his back and heading home from practice.  
  
The next day was much the same as the previous, but with even less contact between Stan and Kyle. They only had one class together that day, and Stan rushed off before Kyle could talk to him. Kyle didn't know that Stan couldn't bear to be around his best friend. It would break Kyle's heart to know that Stan was going to kill himself. He couldn't look at the redheaded Jewish boy without welling up with emotion. When school was out, Stan quickly left without so much as an acknowledgement of Kyle.  
  
When he couldn't find Stan after school, Kyle headed over to the Marsh residence. On his way over, he met up with Kenny.  
"Hey Kenny, have you talked to Stan today?" he asked.  
{Nope. I sat behind him in three classes and he never said anything to me. He told Cartman to fuck off, though,} answered Kenny.  
"Oh," was all that was replied. There was a moment of silence. They arrived at Stan's house.  
"I'm gonna see if he's at home. Later, dude," Kyle said, shuffling up to the front door. Without knocking, he entered the house. Mrs Marsh smiled at him cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen.  
"Hi, Mrs Marsh. Is Stan home?"  
"I don't know. I didn't hear him come in. You can check up in his room," she said, unloading dishes from the dishwasher. Kyle nodded and climbed the stairs to Stan's bedroom. He opened the door to reveal an empty room.  
"Stan?" Kyle slowly walked around the room. Where there used to be pictures of Wendy, now lay shreds. "Dude..." he murmured. His eye caught a piece of paper on the desk. Curiously, Kyle picked it up and began to read. "WHAT THE HELL?!?!" he cried in horror, dropping the paper. He ran out of the room and left the house, sprinting home.  
Angry tears sprang to his eyes as he fell onto his bed. 'How could he do this?' Kyle thought. 'Why would he want to die? I don't understand!' The tears spilled over and rolled down his cheeks. 'And I can't even talk to him, because he'll be mad that I snooped. He might even commit suicide earlier. I have to find a way to stop him without him knowing. What the fuck...that doesn't make sense! Wait a minute. The talent show...' Kyle sat up and roughly wiped the tears from his eyes. He pulled out a CD from his rack and scanned the songs. Finding what he was looking for, he blinked back more tears. 'This is my only chance...'  
  
Stan left at lunch for a dentist appointment and didn't return to school, so he wasn't in Kyle's classes in the afternoon. At band practice, Kyle proposed his song to the band. They agreed without asking questions, for which Kyle was grateful. The weekend was spent in sadness; Stan brooded in his bedroom, Kyle practiced for the talent show with a fierce passion. Monday arrived, and it turned out to be the hardest day of Kyle's life. He broke eight pencils to keep himself from screaming what he wanted to say to Stan. Their eyes didn't meet the whole day. Finally the time of the talent show began. All the participants sat in the audience with the spectators. Kyle stole glances at Stan, and once, their eyes met. Both boys quickly looked away.  
After Butters' hamster-juggling act and Bebe's cheerleader routine, it was time for Anagram to go on. The band took the stage. As the others set up, Kyle stepped up to the mike.  
"Umm...hi," he began nervously. "My name is Kyle, and this is my band, Anagram. We're going to play a cover song for you today. Before we start, I'd just like to say something about the song." Kyle took a deep breath. He looked directly at Stan. "This song is about a guy who is about to lose someone he cares about to suicide. This is his last plea for his friend to stay alive." Stan blinked in surprise. Jonathan tapped his sticks together, and with Kyle on lead vocals, Anagram began to play.  
  
_When the siren's flash is gone  
And we're left to carry on  
All the memories are too few  
  
When the pastor's music plays   
And that casket rolls away   
I could live again if you'd   
Just stay alive for me  
  
Please stay now, you've left me here alone   
It's the end of the line   
Please stay, I can't make it on my own   
It's the end of the line   
Whoa...  
  
Now that you are dead and gone   
And I'm left to carry on   
I could never smile cuz you   
Won't stay alive for me  
  
Please stay now, you've left me here alone   
It's the end of the line   
Please stay, I can't make it on my own   
It's the end of the line   
Whoa...  
  
Finally   
Your final resting day   
Is without me   
I weep   
And think of brighter days   
What about me?  
  
You can't take back   
That one mistake   
That still lives on after life it takes   
And that one day   
That changed our lives   
The bitter memories are left behind   
Oh yeah  
  
Please stay now, you've left me here alone   
It's the end of the line   
Please stay, I can't make it on my own   
It's the end of the line   
Whoa...  
_  
The song ended, and a roar of applause came from the audience. Stan was speechless. He sat in his seat, dumbfounded. The band bowed and left the stage. Stan realized that he was on next. Slowly, as if in a dream, he took to the stage, carrying a bag that held an antique decorative dagger of his father's. He cleared his throat and stepped towards the mike.  
"I...uh...I..." he stammered. He scanned the audience and found Kyle. Tears sprang to his eyes. "My name is Stan Marsh. On the program it said I was going to swallow swords. But really, I came here to kill myself." He pulled out the dagger as everyone gasped in shock. A lump formed in his throat. "My best friend in the whole word is Kyle Broflovksi. I know he sang that song for me. I don't know how he found out about my plan, but I'm glad he did. We've known each other forever, and I wouldn't give up our friendship for anything in the world." Stan started to cry. "Kyle, you saved my life." With a heartfelt sob, he dropped the dagger. Kyle ran onstage, also crying, and hugged Stan. They knew Cartman would tease them about it later, but they were too happy to do a "man-hug' right now. The crowd burst into a very emotional applause and gave the boys a standing ovation.  
"I'm sorry, Kyle."  
"It's okay, dude. It's over."  
  
WOW! What a shitty ending. Ah well. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review.


End file.
